This is sad, but all too predictable. Drug addiction and mental illness often conspire to end in death. On Wednesday, Liam Payne, 31, fell from his hotel balcony in Argentina. Moments earlier, hotel staff complained he was behaving erratically, appearing “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol.” His ransacked room only supported their claim. But Payne’s well-known… Read more.
deaths of famous people
Henry Kissinger, the Iago of Geopolitics, Leaves the World Stage
Kissinger, authoritarian whisperer of realpolitik Henry Kissinger was a titan of 20th-century geopolitics. But his legacy is as complex as it is controversial. Many hailed him as a master strategist. I railed against him as a cunning narcissist. He courted praise for dispensing sage chess-like geopolitical advice. Yet, I can fairly distill his diplomatic treatise… Read more.
A Tribute: My Mummy Died Twenty-Four Years Ago Today
It might be embarrassing for a man to be grieving the loss of his mother decades after her death. Yet, I am far from being embarrassed. I take abiding pride in paying tribute to my Mummy. What’s more, my 15 siblings share this sentiment. Thus, I pay this loving tribute on their behalf as well. Olive Caroline Louise Hall continues to inspire. In… Read more.
Barbara Walters: Broadcasting Pioneer Is Dead
Barbara Walters: Broadcasting Pioneer Barbara Walters embodied news broadcasting excellence. She was a pioneer for women in the industry. She shattered the glass ceiling to become the first woman network news anchor. Walters amazed her male counterparts with her knack for landing “big-get” interviews. Those included Fidel Castro, Katharine Hepburn, and Monica Lewinsky. Moreover, she… Read more.
Pelé, the Greatest Soccer Player of All Time, Is Dead
Pelé, the GOAT Legacy and social media are replete with people eulogizing Pelé. And they are all saying practically the same thing. It’s some version of this: Pelé, the Brazilian soccer legend who won three World Cups and became the sport’s first global icon, has died at the age of 82. … For more than… Read more.
In Memoriam: Delores E. Duncanson
To every thing there is a season, a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die … a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. (Ecclesiastes 3) Mourners from all over the world gathered at the Freeport… Read more.
Legendary singer Isaac Hayes and king of comedy Bernie Mac are dead
Isaac Hayes was as much the personification of everything cool during the 1970s and 80s as any rap star is today. In fact, I doubt there’s a single man over forty (black or white) who in his youth did not attempt to emulate Hayes’ baritone refrain “right On” – from his Grammy and Academy-Award winning hit “Theme From Shaft.” But even though… Read more.